London’s Pirate Pioneers tells the story of the capital’s pirate radio stations and the people who helped change the British broadcasting system.

From the early hobbyist operations of the 1960s to the big commercial enterprises of the 1980s. From suburban bedrooms to open fields to urban tower blocks. From hippies to soul boys to ravers. The book weaves together a year-by-year account of the developments in London’s radio with the stories of the key stations. It explores the political, social, musical and technological changes that were to influence each stage in their evolution.

Photos from every era take you behind the scenes to see the DJs and engineers at work and the book gathers together flyers and promos from many of the leading stations.

Stephen Hebditch was editor of TX / Radio Today, the most popular pirate radio magazine in eighties London, and has continued documenting the pirates at amfm.org.uk.

A popular pirate radio station from the 1980s era in Bradford (West Yorkshire) is making a comeback - but this time it's going legal.

Two original DJs from PCR (Paradise City Radio) are behind the new-sound People's City Radio, going on air on the web.

From an idea sketched out on the back of a cigarette packet four weeks ago, PCR's resurrection has been "astronomical," says Marvyn Browning, 39, who was just 15 and supposedly swatting for exams when he used to DJ for the old station from a friend's flat in Green Lane, Manningham, telling his mother he was stopping out at his sister's.

The new PCR is already up and running, it is on seven days a week and already has 22 live shows. The rest is on a loop and the station has signed up DJs not just from Bradford but Manchester, London, Belgium, Serbia and The Bronx in New York.

Dear SWL friends,
The Italian Group Free Wave organise for you, the second edition of a radiophonic contest that will be on air on short waves QRG in Amplitude Modulation. This second edition will have small difference in rule.

TAKE THE MESSAGE
Each free station will be on air in the same moments on his own QRG, transmitting a part of a complete message in Italian and English, that is ever the same for all 7 ( seven ) Italian Free Radio stations.

10 May 2015 schedule:
First Part of Message from 08.00 UTC to 09.00 UTC with this simultaneous TX QRG:6.875 Radio Europe / 6.950 Radio Enterprise / 7.300 Radio U-Boat 66

Second Part of Message from 09.00 UTC to 10.00 UTC with this simultaneous TX QRG:6.870 Radio Samurai / 6.940 Radio Voyager / 7.300 Radio Mistero Ghost Planet

The complete message will be transmitted instead only via: Radio Arcadia from 19.00 to 20.00 UTC but the Arcadia’s QRG will be communicated last-minute on Chat/FB, depending band’s condition.

To participate to the game as SWL, you only have to recreate the complete message.
All SWL can participate to the game with their own radio and antennas, and also using web SDR receiver. Please send your report to: radioalleanza@gmail.comInternational Contest Rank and Special Paper Certificate
From the first ( 1st) to the fifth ( 5th ) report mail received without mistakes, will get a paper QSL direct to your postal address ( if communicated).
To compose the final rank we consider the time in which we get your mail.
The ranks of Italian SWL and International SWL will be separated, and we will send a total of 10 paper certificates. The final results will be published within 10 day from 10 May 2015.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

In the USA the new FCC Bureau Enforcement Chief has been setting out his plans which includes clearing the American airwaves of pirates.

He said: “We need to think about when we take action that [the pirate] is actually off the air and things to prevent pirates ever getting on the air. We want to get to a world where there are no pirates on the airwaves,” said LeBlanc, who added he’s looking forward to working with NAB and broadcasters on that."

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Happy birthday to Laser Hot Hits which began broadcasting on FM in the London area on April 16 1990. Twenty five years later it is still going strong, broadcasting nightly on 4026 kHz with various other shortwave, medium wave and FM relays.

Some DXers might remember when they used to broadcast on 75, 48, 41 and the 32 metre bands with 6220 being a regular frequency until Mystery Radio laid claim to 6220.

Trying to power transmitter again next Sunday evening on higher frequencies and WorldWide tests. Thinking that everything is fine and operational... Please, check and try to catch our signal....

Radio Spaceshuttle 13800 kHz, 22mb on Sunday 19th of April 2015 18:00-19:00 UTC.
Wishing good audibility and lots of reports, thank you. Higher frequencies and hopefully free band will forward our signal very long way!

Nice Sunday music, listeners mailbag and Hobart Radio International from Tasmania

Radio Spaceshuttle International
P.O.Box 2702
6049 ZG Herten
The Netherlands

As reported earlier UK community radio station Cambridge 105 has a pirate radio day 0900-2100 Good Friday April 3 from the MV Georgina on the River Cam, schedule now up, each hour looks at different years. They will be on 105FM, online and 6070 shortwave via the Channel 292 transmitter.
QSL cards for shortwave reception reports send an SAE or $1 bill to Unit 9A, Gwydir Street Enterprise Centre, 23-25 Gwydir Street, Cambridge, ENGLAND CB1 2LG.
Website: http://cambridge105.fm

(Mike Barraclough on Facebook)
A busy weekend for the Chelmsford Calling World Service programme no. 5 !! First - we're on Scandinavian Weekend Radio at 08:00 UTC on 6170, 11720 & 1602 kHz & 94.9 MHz on Saturday 4th, & then on a new relay for us - CHANNEL 292 on 6070 kHz at 14:00 UTC on Sunday 5th. As always - reception reports welcome (by e-mail is fine via our website www.chelmsfordcalling.com) & all answered with a QSL card !
Our programme no. 6 is also now released & will be transmitted by our friends at WRMI Radio Miami International & HLR Hamburger Lokalradio next week - details to follow.

If you can't wait till then - streaming & download available on our website ! Thanks for tuning in !